Largo, MD - Today, the Prince George's County Economic Development Corporation welcomed more than 250 small business owners for what felt like a living room conversation with networking guru, Dr. George C. Fraser. The CEO of FraserNet and Founder of the Power Networking Conference, Dr. Fraser led a candid conversation about the need for developing an effective network and not attempting to do business as a solo act. EDC President and CEO Jim Coleman told business owners that his mission is to connect the County's business community to dynamic, powerhouse leaders like Dr. Fraser.
"Dr. Fraser is a true gem who knows how to get results," said Coleman. "Every day, I encounter business owners who are pregnant with ideas and thirsty for knowledge about how to take their businesses to the next level. Today, Dr. Fraser truly empowered everyone who heard him. I agree that we can't go it alone if we want to be successful. We have to have networking partners to get us to the next level. At the EDC, we are a proud success partner for all of our small businesses. We're honored to be able to connect our business leaders to powerhouse individuals who can show them the way to hypergrowth. I'm happier than words can describe about what today meant to the Prince George's County business community."
As the Chairman and CEO of FraserNet, Dr. Fraser is a nationally renowned author, publisher and motivational speaker who, for the last 30 years, has led a global networking movement that brings together diverse human resources to increase opportunities for people of African descent. He is considered by many to be a voice for African Americans and one of the foremost authorities on economic development, networking and building effective relationships. At today's Seminar, Dr. Fraser shared nuggets of networking wisdom with the County's small business owners and entrepreneurs, in preparation for his annual Power Networking Conference, which will take place July 2018.
"Prince George's County is all that, and a bag of chips! There is no place in America where you can seize the networking opportunities that are available right here," said Fraser. "Networking is the identification and the building of relationships for the purpose of sharing information, opportunities and resources. All of life is about relationships. There is no success that you can attain, sustain or maintain on your own in a vacuum. The most powerful asset you have in the 21st century will not be your computer; it will be your relationships. All entrepreneurships, all job searches, all upward mobility in the public and private sector work place, all community building, and all nation building are inherently relationship building initiatives."
Dr. Fraser spoke candidly to the audience about their responsibilities as African American business leaders to 'Earn, Learn and Return." A leader should be awake, alert, and dissatisfied at all times. As leaders, he explained that they should be motivated to change things, show up to receive the information that can make their lives better, and understand that they must transcend being good at just functional and analytical problem solving tasks. They must build relationships that will enable them to build a fabric of context that can provide support, feedback, insight, resources and information.
"Today's conference was very powerful, and something that the African American business community has needed for a long time," said Sherryleen Lynch with Morgan Stanley. "Dr. Fraser made a lot of good points about businesses working together in the community, and building relationships - that is really key. He validated what I have been doing with my business, which let me know that I am on the right track. I can't wait to go to the big conference in July."
For more information about how to attend the Power Networking Conference July 5ththrough July 7th 2018, visit www.powernetworkingconference.com. To view the live stream of today's seminar, visit https://www.facebook.com/PGCEDC.
For more information about small business development at the Economic Development Corporation, contact EDC Small Business Manager Alicia Moran (amoran@co.pg.md.us) or 301-583-4650.